Bernard Hopkins hasn’t knocked out an opponent in more than nine years, or since he knocked out Oscar De La Hoya in the ninth round with a body punch in September, 2004 in Las Vegas. At 48, he has become a defense-oriented fighter whose masterful moves frustrate and befuddle the opposition.

Some, make that many, look at his current way of doing business as a real bore. He wins and he’s a light heavyweight world champion. But he’s no longer an exciting fighter.

But leave it to Hopkins to give us something to think about, something that would inject new life into a career many experts figured would be over years ago, if for no other reason than most guys don’t fight past 40.

Hopkins, of Philadelphia, tonight is going to defend his title against Karo Murat of Germany at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City (on Showtime). He was asked during a recent conference call if a loss will convince him to hang up his gloves.

“The thing is it would definitely be good for me,” he said of retirement. “It definitely won’t be good for what I have in my plan.”

That plan just might include a fight with another living legend, Floyd Mayweather Jr. It would take a lot to get this fight done. Mayweather would have to agree to move up to the 160-pound middleweight class, where he’s never fought, and Hopkins would have to get back down to that division he once dominated.

Since Mayweather’s highest weight class has been 154-pound junior middleweight, chances of him agreeing to move to 160 at the age of 36 might be too much to ask. But it would be a promotion with so much limelight Mayweather may not be able to refuse.

Hopkins fights for Golden Boy Promotions, which helps Mayweather promote his fights. Hopkins was asked if he has had any talks at all with Mayweather or Golden Boy. He only said he has been approached by somebody important.

“Well, first of all, I had no conversations but it was a conversation said to me, and that’s why I responded,” Hopkins said. “And when I realized that there is a fight that they owe him in March of next year, I believe May, excuse me, of next year, and whether I’m willing or can I make 160, and I said, ‘Well, if I have that much time, a guy like me, the way I live and the way I keep my body right, sure.’

“They didn’t act like they were joking, and we’re talking powerful people. So I’m sitting back saying, ‘OK, hey, you know, because no one else is going to beat Floyd Mayweather in their 20s and even in their early 30s. Not this checkerboard-man colony of young fighters who can be great later, but right now they just don’t have the degrees to do it.”

Hopkins (53-6-2, 32 KOs) said he just has to make sure he doesn’t go “brain-dead” tonight against Murat.

Intriguing? Maybe. But it’s not like the fight would be thrilling. Mayweather is much more offense-oriented than Hopkins. But Hopkins, like Felix the Cat with his bag of tricks, could turn it into something miserable.

Also, can he really make 160 after fighting at 175 the past seven years?

“Hey, listen,” Hopkins said. “How many times I’ve been right when I said I could do something, or wrong, in my career, as long as you’ve been following me?”

Without a win tonight, there isn’t a chance it would happen. If you ask Murat (25-1-1, 15 KOs), this will indeed be the end of the road for one of boxing’s all-time greats.

“In the years before when he was a middleweight, when he was the middleweight champion he didn’t show all that much clinching,” said Murat, 30. “You saw him beating people with ease. But nowadays you see, with the clinching and just the one-two punch, you see that he’s growing old. He may say that it’s just conditioning, but I don’t think so.

“I think it’s a sign from God that I am here to end Bernard’s career. He is an old man and needs to stop now.”

Hopkins’ first fight was in Atlantic City, and he lost a decision to Clinton Mitchell on Oct. 11, 1988 at Resorts International. That was 25 years ago. It would be a sentimental city for Hopkins to close out his wonderful career.

If he wins, you can bet Hopkins will do everything he can to get Mayweather in the ring. The promotion would be huge but the fight likely would be less than great. But Hopkins would make Mayweather earn everything in the ring. That’s for sure.

Pacquiao’s fists will do the talking

Manny Pacquiao was knocked out face-first by Juan Manuel Marquez in the sixth round in December in Las Vegas. It’s rare to see a superstar get knocked out in that fashion, and it made many wonder if Pacquiao might be through as an elite fighter.

In his previous fight, Pacquiao lost a highly disputed decision to Timothy Bradley. It’s true, virtually everyone except the judges thought Pacquiao won. But he didn’t seem to look as vicious as he has in the past.

Pacquiao is going to take on former lightweight champion Brandon Rios of Oxnard on Nov. 23 from Macao, China (on HBO pay-per-view). There were recent comments from Rios trainer Robert Garcia that Pacquiao is not the same, intimidating fighter he was four, five years ago.

Pacquiao, speaking on a conference call Thursday from General Santos, Philippines, where he’s training, was asked what he says to the Rios camp or any others who think his days as a ferocious fighter might be over.

“What I’m doing right now is, I want to show them,” Pacquiao said, “to prove it on Nov. 23. I’m not going to say a word. But I’m going to do it.”

Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum, was on the call and was in rare form when asked his thoughts on the subject.

“I’m sure we’re going to see on Nov. 23,” said Arum, speaking from Pacquiao’s camp. “Manny is training more serious and harder than any time that I’ve ever seen him.”

At that point, Arum’s call was dropped and he suddenly was off the line. He dialed back in a few minutes later and finished his thought.

“Manny, as far as I can see, is more dedicated and General Santos is a perfect place for him to train,” Arum said. “He concentrates on nothing else but his training and I think the Manny Pacquiao you’re going to see on Nov. 23 is going to be a Manny Pacquiao that perhaps is even going to be better than the Pacquiao we saw against Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto.”

Pacquiao (54-5-2, 38 KOs) will be 35 in December. Rios, 27, is 31-1-1 with 23 knockouts.

Also …

Tonight’s Hopkins-Murat undercard will feature two other fights that will be televised by Showtime. Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin (29-0, 21 KOs) of Brooklyn will defend his middleweight title against Gabriel Rosado (21-6, 13 KOs) of Philadelphia. Heavyweight knockout artist Deontay Wilder will square off with Nicolai Firtha (21-10-1, 8 KOs) of Akron, Ohio, in a 10-rounder. Wilder, of Tuscaloosa, Ala., has knocked out all 29 opponents. … Showtime Extreme will televise some of the preliminary bouts from Boardwalk Hall. … Gennady Golovkin (27-0, 24 KOs) will put his reputation as a hard hitter on the line next Saturday when he defends his middleweight title against Curtis Stevens (25-3, 18 KOs) of Brooklyn from Madison Square Garden (on HBO). … A week later, on Nov. 9, HBO will televise a doubleheader from Toyota Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. Roman “Rocky” Martinez (27-1-2, 16 KOs) of Puerto Rico will defend his junior lightweight title against former featherweight champion Mikey Garcia (32-0, 27 KOs) of Oxnard. Former super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire will fight a rematch with Vic Darchinyan six-plus years after Donaire (31-2, 20 KOs) knocked out Darchinyan (39-5-1, 28 KOs) in the fifth round.

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